NEWS RELEASE
Oakland Museum of California
www.museumca.org

10TH & OAK STREETS
OAKLAND, CA  94607

For additional information:
Elizabeth Whipple
510/238-4740, M-F, MEDIA ONLY
PUBLIC CALLS: 510/238-2200
ewhipple@museumca.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Exhibition dates: Through August 20, 2006

BEHIND THE MAGIC—50 YEARS OF DISNEYLAND®
Oakland Museum of California hosts special exhibition through August 20, 2006

Walt Disney’s legendary theme park, conceived and created with his design wizards, the Imagineers, opened July 17, 1955, in Anaheim, on 160 acres of former orange groves. The rest is American history.

The Oakland Museum of California helps celebrate the first half-century of Disney’s magical kingdom

A 1954 rendering for what was then called the “Land of Tomorrow” gives special prominence to a monorail system, eventually added to the park in 1959.

with Behind the Magic—50 Years of Disneyland, May 6, 2006––August 20, 2006.

Behind the Magicprovides a rare look at American icon Walter Elias Disney and his vision for a new genre of family entertainment. Graphic designers, Disney aficionados, film historians, and generations of Disneyland visitors will find plenty of living history to explore. An audio tour is included with admission.

The three-part exhibition features Disney’s early life as a cartoonist and filmmaker; renderings and plans for his fantastic amusement park; and a section on the Imagineers, the gifted team responsible for creating and maintaining Disneyland’s culture and magic.

Behind the Magic displays Walt Disney Imagineering art and artifacts from Disneyland rarely seen outside the Disney Parks. The 7,500-square-foot exhibition includes 250 pieces of original Imagineering artwork, hand-crafted models, construction drawings, and promotional materials tracing the growth and history of the California landmark.

Herb Ryman’s 1954 vellum rendering (roughly six feet by four feet) of Disneyland, a key element in Roy Disney's successful pitch to bankers for initial funding for the park, is also on display. In 1953, Disney asked Ryman to sketch an idea for an amusement park that would appeal to both children and adults. Over a single weekend, Ryman translated Walt's dreams onto paper.

Visitors will have the opportunity to view—and in some cases, interact with—more than 40 three-dimensional artifacts, among them figures from “it’s a small world,” original arcade games from the “Pirates of the Caribbean®” attraction, and the original vehicles used in “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride®” and “Peter Pan’s Flight®.” An electronic photo op in Peter Pan’s galleon is available for $1.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant® exterior overall concept. Bruce Bushman, 1953.

Fifty-two years ago Disney leveraged a partnership with ABC; the network provided financing for the park in exchange for exclusive programming. The program, "Disneyland," built enormous national anticipation for Disney’s namesake park—more than 28,000 visitors showed up on opening day, although only 15,000 were invited. Since that day in 1955 an estimated 500 million people have visited Disneyland.

Marty Sklar, vice-president and principal creative executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, was hired by Walt Disney shortly after the opening of Disneyland, and worked with him for many years. “This extraordinary exhibit reveals the creativity and innovation Imagineers used to conceive and design Disneyland. It’s a treat to see this showcased in California, where Walt Disney gave birth to an entire new industry that has spread around the world.”

The Oakland Museum of California is the first official tour stop for Behind the Magic after its inaugural launch at The Henry Ford, in 2005. The remaining tour schedule for Behind the Magic following the Oakland Museum of California is being finalized, according to Michael Benghiat of ExhibiTour, which produced and manages the exhibition.

Admission to Behind the Magic is $14/$10 for seniors and students with ID, members $6/$5, and free for kids five and under. Online tickets are available at www.museumca.org/tickets. For details on public programs, visit www.museumca.org.

-30-

Behind the Magic was developed by The Henry Ford in association with Walt Disney Imagineering, a division of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. Produced and managed by ExhibiTour, LLC.

The Oakland Museum of California exhibition received generous support from the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and Ron and Diane Miller.

USA TODAY is the official media partner of Behind the Magic—50 Years of Disneyland. USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co, Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is the nation's top-selling newspaper and is headquartered in McLean, VA. USA TODAY has an average daily circulation of 2.3 million and is available worldwide. The USA TODAY brand also includes: USA TODAY Sports Weekly, USATODAY.com, and USA TODAY LIVE.

Additional media sponsorship from KGO Radio AM 810, KMKY Radio Disney, and ABC 7.

The Oakland Museum of California is located at Oak and 10th Streets in downtown Oakland, one block from the Lake Merritt BART. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 to 5; Sunday, noon to 5; first Friday of the month open until 9. Regular admission is $8 for adults, $5 seniors and students with ID, free for children five and under. Free admission the second Sunday of the month (excluding special exhibitions). Advance tickets available at www.museumca.org/tickets. For more information, call 510/238-2200 or visit www.museumca.org.